TIGER CAN BE FEARED MAN AGAIN
TIGER WOODS’ fear factor will return if he is in contention for the Masters next weekend, according to Curtis Strange.
The four-time winner will return to Augusta seeking his first Major victory since 2008 – and four gruelling back operations.
But the 42-year-old goes into the Masters as the American bookies’ favourite after top-five finishes in his last two PGA Tour starts.
And Strange, who won two US Opens, speaking on behalf of espn.co.uk, said: “Jack Nicklaus is still intimidating to me at 78. So if Tiger Woods continues to play well, there is real intimidation out there.
“It’s the way he carries himself, the way he acts, the way he plays. There’s an aura about him. It’s not just about how he hits the golf ball.
“We’ll see how the rest of the field handle it. It really does put pressure on you when you’re standing on the first tee against Woods or Nicklaus. You know you have to play your very best to beat this guy today, and that’s a lot of pressure.
“And I’m so anxious to see this play out. Firstly, to see if Tiger continues to play well because he’s in a very comfortable atmosphere at Augusta – it’s protected, with fans, with TV and secondly to see how the other people react to Tiger.”
Excitement for this year’s event is at fever pitch with the return to form of Woods, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson. But Strange is backing Rory McIlroy to finish up on top.
He said: “We all have to admit, one of the big reasons for the excitement and the TV ratings going sky high is that Tiger Woods is back playing golf.
“I love the fact that Bubba is such an intriguing character, back on the scene, at a place where he’s won twice. But Rory in my mind is the man to beat.
“I think the world of his game and he has the ability to lap the field. The only other person to do that is Tiger Woods. Rory has another gear to his game when he hits it.
“He’s playing well. He’s motivated. This would complete the Grand Slam. You could say that could put pressure on him.
“Yes, it could but I think it’s maybe been long enough, the last three or four years that he’s over that a little bit.
“He knows everything he does is another huge notch on his gun belt. I sense he’s in a really good place now. I sense he’s very comfortable now. He’s playing well. Now can he putt well?
“You’re going to have to putt well to win anywhere, but I think they should measure him for a green jacket here shortly. I really do. He’s my No.1 guy this week. I’ll put it like that.
“With what I’ve seen and with what I’ve read and his statements, he’s my favourite this week.”